Francesca Villette
A DURBANVILLE man received an eight-year suspended sentence in the Parow Magistrate’s Court on Monday, after being found guilty on 2 000 charges of making and possessing child pornography.
Andries Retief, 37, was also registered as a sex offender.
Retief was sentenced to eight years, suspended for five years, on condition that he is not found guilty of similar charges.
According to his charge sheet, he had naked photographs of three children in his possession.
The pornography was discovered in December 2010 by a couple who was house-sitting for him in Visserhokplaas, Durbanville, while he was on holiday. They found the images on his laptop after Retief gave them the password. Their 8-year-old child was one of the children. They also recognised children of some of their friends.
On December 28, they contacted another parent whose daughter they had recognised in the folder. The girl was nine years old at the time.
The parents of two of the children laid criminal charges against Retief and on January 4, 2011, police obtained a warrant and searched Retief’s house. A forensic search led police to discover the child pornography.
Retief pleaded guilty to 2 078 charges against him, including exposing children to pornography, making child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
Handing down sentence yesterday, Magistrate Amanda van Leeft said Retief had suffered psychologically and was still enrolled in rehabilitative programmes.
“He (Retief) had pleaded guilty to very serious crimes involving children, crimes that impact the fibre of society,” Van Leeft said.
She said the State had failed to prove Retief would re-offend, and the fact that Retief was seeking help had influenced her decision.
Retief’s name was yesterday added to the registered sex offenders list.
The mother who house-sat for Retief and saw her child on his folder was outraged at his sentence and said Retief showed no remorse.
Patrick Solomons, director of the children’s rights organisation Molo Songololo, also expressed his disappointment at the sentence.
“It is the children who have to bear the brunt of the decision,” Solomons said.